Julie sent me this picture of a gorgeous Camellia just outside the front door of her new house.  It's huge!!  I love it!!!

 

It is Camellia sasanqua, and this is the normal bloom time for them, even here.  This one is in Mississippi, but now is when they bloom here too.

 

Be on the lookout.  If you see an evergreen bush blooming right now, it is probably Camellia sasanqua.

 

THANKS, JULIE!!!

 

Here are our friends planting the new Crape Myrtles on the entrance road.  Christina is the one I told you about who grows the beautiful chrysanthemums.  And her daughter is helping with the planting.  They are planting 30 new trees.

 

We have planted trees in this soil, and I can tell you, it is hard work.  But they were out there doing it, with smiles on their faces.  I love that!!!

 

Be sure to thank Mike for getting this done.  It will be so nice next summer.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

This is the view from part way up our mountain walk.  

 

We are looking south toward Georgia.  Our house is to the left just beyond the colorful trees.  

 

You can see Lake Nottley, and almost see the TVA dam.  

 

We love this view, and our walks.

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

I promised to show you the Hickory in the meadow as it changes.  

 

This picture was taken on Sunday.  It is absolutely gorgeous in the sunshine.

 

Wish you could see it in person.  It is so exciting to watch, day by day, as Fall comes to the mountains.

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

We still have marigolds.  With all the rain and wind, some branches got broken, so I brought them inside.

 

They make me so happy, inside and out.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I saw this Pyracantha bush in a parking lot, and was really surprised at the bright redness of this branch.  

 

I suppose the whole bush will turn red eventually, but for now it just has this one branch.  I love its boldness.

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

Don't you just love the hickory trees in autumn?  Yellow and green against that Carolina Blue Sky.

 

Me, too!!!

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

 

 

It is changing every day.  Last week we saw very little fall color, and this week it is exploding!!!

 

Gorgeous color around every bend.  I hope you are enjoying your fall as much as we are here in the mountains.

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

I got my garlic planted.  

 

I ordered a pound of garlic from Territorial Seeds back in July.  They always sell out, so you have to do it early.  Anyway, they arrived, and I planted the cloves.

 

It is really an easy process.  You divide the garlic bulbs into cloves, and stick them in the ground pointy end up, about 3 inches deep, and 3-4 inches apart.  Cover with a thick layer of mulch, and wait until spring for them to sprout.  Until then, they are developing a root system to sustain them over the winter.  In the spring, they will push up through the mulch, and grow until June or July.  

 

Last year I planted 60 cloves, and I harvested 60 bulbs.  You would think that 60 bulbs would be enough for a year, but we always end up buying garlic in about March and April.  SO, this year I planted 88 cloves.  I'll let you know when they start to grow.  

 

If you want to try growing your own garlic, NOW is the time to plant it, between now and Thanksgiving.  Just buy organic garlic from the grocery or farmers market, follow the directions above, and wait.  It really doesn't take up much space in the garden; you can even put it in your flower beds.  It's that pretty when it grows.  Plant some with your daffodils.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

These are our trees, and it's almost November!!!

 

I just read a bit of Folklore in the Farmers Almanac.  Here's one thing it says about October:

 

When leaves fall EARLY, Winter will be mild...When leaves fall LATE, Winter will be severe.

 

There are lots of other sayings there too, check it out.  https://www.farmersalmanac.com/october-weather-lore 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!